That Sinking Feeling

The tragedy of the Costa Concordia.

I was a passenger on the Costa Concordia that just made headlines around the world as it sunk off the coast of Tuscany.

No, thank God I wasn’t on this last harrowing voyage which resulted in horrible injuries and loss of lives. It was in the summer of 2008 that I had the opportunity of serving as rabbinic scholar-in-residence for a kosher program on this magnificent ocean liner. And I won't ever forget the luxury, the beauty, and the latest state-of-the-art technology that was evident throughout.

A high ranking member of the crew gave me a private tour, pointing out some of the remarkable advanced equipment and GPS which insured our total safety. What stayed with me was his jocular reference to a famous ship of a century ago, as he assured me that "no one will ever have a Titanic experience here."

And yet that's exactly what happened.

How could that possibly be? With all of our scientific progress, how can a ship still go aground?

The answer has profound implications for our understanding of the real root cause of such tragedies.

There was actually no reason for the Titanic to be in that dangerous area. It was only because people in 1912 were awed by the prowess of the Titanic to the degree of hubris that permitted the order to be given to sail "full speed ahead" through icy waters. This order was given by the Titanic's owners to recapture the trophy for fastest crossing of the Atlantic from the Germans in order to secure increased revenue for their venture, and was executed by the captain of the Titanic, who selected a northern crossing which was much shorter than the traditional southerly route used by the mariners for that time of year.

This disaster was completely avoidable. North Atlantic crossings held perils well known to mariners, and firsthand reports of ice conditions had reached the officers of the Titanic earlier in the day. The Titanic had a radio, and both sent and received a steady stream of messages throughout the voyage.

Wireless operators had two functions – track weather reports and transmit messages for the rich. They made their money from the latter. On April 14, 1912, another ship, the California, continually sent wireless messages to the Titanic that a large iceberg (one million tons) was in Titanic’s path.

No matter how good the technology of the Titanic, it could not compensate for moral error.

Receiving these messages annoyed the operator trying to get messages out for their rich patrons. The Titanic operator demanded the California stop bothering him. They did and turned off their wireless. The messages never made it to the Captain.

The 1,517 people who died were killed by greed. No matter how good the technology of the Titanic, it could not compensate for moral error.

The Costa Concordia was the proud symbol of contemporary scientific marvels. It, too, was unsinkable. Its GPS unerringly kept it on a safe course. Yet the ego of the captain who wanted to go closer to shore so that he could show off his "toy” to friends on the island overrode every precaution.

A GPS, just like God's Perfect System for guiding us through life, otherwise known as the Torah, can only give us direction. It can't force us to carry out its will. We still have the freedom to obey or to disregard its warnings. But what we can never avoid is the consequences of our actions.

That's why our moral choices, dictated by a commitment to higher ethical principles, will always be more important than our scientific achievements.

That lesson goes back many thousands of years to a major biblical story. It was the tower builders of Babel who are portrayed as the first age of technology. Until then, people were farmers or shepherds. They responded to nature but did not know how to control it or shape it. But the time came when they learned how to build bricks and fashion homes impervious to the weather. Overwhelmed with a sense of their importance, they decided to build a tower with its top in the heavens so that they could topple God from his throne.

What they desired above all, the Torah tells us, was "to make for themselves a name." With scientific advancement came the ego of the technocrat who was convinced that his intellect made God unnecessary.

It was not too long ago that the first astronaut, the Russian Yuri Gagarin, in the same spirit as the builders of the tower of Babel said on his return from outer space, "I looked and looked, but I didn't see God."

But the end of the biblical story makes clear the price that must always be paid when we choose self worship over the authority of a divine GPS. With all of its brilliance, the society of the tower of Babel doomed itself to extinction. Bricks became more important than people. When a brick fell and shattered, they cried but when a person toppled to his death they ignored him. Feelings were replaced by formulas. Human speech and communication no longer mattered. Talk became babble. Technology created a seemingly more perfect world - peopled by those who were far more imperfect.

What I think needs to be stressed as the ultimate lesson is how much we need to reorder our priorities.

The captain was amongst the first to flee.

Reports of what went on as the Costa Concordia sank are chilling as they reflect upon so much of contemporary behavior. When the Titanic went down, women and children were given precedence. A great majority of them survived because of the chivalry of those, like Benjamin Guggenheim, who chose to stay behind, changed into his evening clothes, and said to those to whom he gave his seat in the lifeboats, "We dressed in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."

Today’s passengers fought with the crew for the few seats that offered the chance for survival. The captain was amongst the first to flee, giving the lie to the noble ideal that the captain goes down with the ship. The strong pushed aside the weak. And the moral order that defines us as civilized, as the best of creation, as those formed in the image of God seeking to emulate his divine attributes, also perished with the victims.

We live in an age that worships every new scientific breakthrough. We are obsessed with gadgets meant to make our lives easier and more fun-filled. Yet we spend so little time stressing the importance of a value system without which all of these advances are meaningless.

This tragedy happened because of human error. It was compounded by striking moral failures. What it requires from us now is the reminder that our emphasis on technological achievements must be joined to greater concern for ethical growth. Only with a commitment to both can we prevent disasters of Titanic proportion.

Related Articles:

About the Author

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. Author of 14 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, his newest, The World From A Spiritual Perspective, is a collection of over 100 of his best Aish articles. See his website at www.benjaminblech.com.

Visitor Comments: 47

Idolitry takes many forms. Technology worship is one of them, and is ultimately dehumanizing.

(41)
yakova,
January 26, 2012 4:27 AM

excellent comment E'met

Execellent Comment, words spoken with wisdom,
giving glory to L-RD, who created all beautiful in every
word spoken E'MET AMEN

(40)
Rose Cudaback,
January 25, 2012 5:01 PM

Thank you

It is so important to see the spiritual side of these tragedies. I appreciate your taking time to point them out to us.The irony of that silly comment that has become so well known "show me the money" hits home again and again.

(39)
(Mrs) Dorothy Barkley,
January 23, 2012 6:52 PM

excellent and needed insights

We appreciate your making the connection for us of the two tragedies, and also of the larger tragedy at Babel.
Thank you for reminding us that wisdom is available, but never forced upon us.
Blessings, Dave and Dorothy Barkley
Howard County Pray, MD

(38)
Juan Manuel C. Del Prado,
January 23, 2012 4:51 AM

Costa Concordia & Hubris

Arrogance and over-confidence on the part of Captain Schettino turned into negligence, COWARDICE, abandonment of post!

(37)
Rosen,
January 23, 2012 3:19 AM

the dangers of maneuvering pride

Given the dangers of maneuvering a vessel for pride or obtaining a material good for pride is not good, because one has to be careful on whether he/she will fall flat on having such a high...I'm also reminded of this video about a movie Aish.com had a while back relating to Sukkot where a man took too much pride in an etrog (lemon-like fruit), that he lost respect for others.

(36)
Anonymous,
January 23, 2012 1:00 AM

Point made and clear, So well written

Thank you for the article.
Why is it so hard to learn the lesson that people are not in charge, no matter how carefully precise we are... human!
I like to copy and paste the words "A GPS, just like God's Perfect System for guiding us through life, otherwise known as the Torah, can only give us direction. It can't force us to carry out its will. We still have the freedom to obey or to disregard its warnings. But what we can never avoid is the consequences of our actions."

(35)
Lori Palatnik,
January 23, 2012 12:10 AM

A quote from Captain Edward Smith:

“God himself could not sink this ship!”

Bjorg Holst,
January 23, 2012 10:51 AM

God did not sink this ship, or make any othe desaster. People who ignor God's principles, and follow their ovn greed and lust are the root of all evil.

(34)
Meira,
January 22, 2012 10:10 PM

Hubris and greed are all the same as they were at the beginning of creation.

If there is such thing as a collective consciousness this article is the best example of it:
The idea that this horrible tragedy is one more metaphor that G-d sent to us to make his warning more pronounced struck me since I hear how it happened and the more detail I get the clearer His message is revealed.
It can be easily apply in different levels of our life starting from person v. environment realm up to political situation in USA that can be easily turned in to “unsinkable Titanic” if we would not follow General principles like “ladies and children -first” and insist in our persuasion for malicious personal interests and short comes. Just one episode from that tragedy haunts my mind and imagination: when ship started to sink the team still had enough time for safe and secure evacuation but because of the panic and “striking moral failure” the tragedy became irreversible...

(33)
TMay,
January 22, 2012 9:57 PM

Denial

"Denial is more than a river in Egypt." The captain was in denial to danger, glaringly so, both before, during, and after the tragedy. Denial is a message from this event.
It reminds me of Pres Obama and Hillary.

(32)
Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 9:17 PM

Not equivalent accidents, not to mention a poor analogy

Worth noting, I think, is that despite the greater chivalry, morality and ethics of the crew on the Titanic after the ship began to sink, nearly 70 times as many people died as on the Costa Concordia. Further, considerable numbers of people joined in the sins of greed in 1912, while the hubris of one man, the captain, caused the grounding in 2012. Finally, the Tower of Babel analogy seems inapt to both because in neiither case could one plausibly consider the passengers at fault for the ships' demise. Nimrod successfully sold his enterprise to the populace of his day, the people bought it hook, line and sinker (sorry about that) , and that's why the punishment was dispersal and division of the populace thorugh a diversity of languages. Those aboard the Titanic and the Costa Concordia were never told of the deviations from responsible seamanship, much less given a chance to express their views much less to influence the course of action or to change their minds before debarking. The lesson is really much more simple, I would say: Pride goes before a fall, and the fall may often be proportionate to the extent and excess of the pride.

(31)
Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 8:57 PM

Costa Concordia

What a beautiful insight into the ' accident' May many read it and learn from it, thank you, anna

(30)
dodi miller/sloman,
January 22, 2012 8:06 PM

Where Was The ships PILOT?

All large liners have a Pilot that takes them out of harbor
to safe sailng sailing waters, and Pilots them in to harbor when they are ready to dock.
Was there a Pilot on this vessel?
If not, Why not??
If so,why was he not doing that which he should.???

(29)
Israel Cohen,
January 22, 2012 7:06 PM

Rabbi Blechs comments on Costa Concordia

Rabbi Blech hit the nail on the head when he spoke of the moral decline. Thhis tragedy of the ship is the metaphor for what is happening in society thruout the world. Huberis defeats the best technologies.

(28)
Jana Ondrackova,
January 22, 2012 5:54 PM

Excellent commentary by the Rabbi Blech.

Excellent, rue and well-written. Thanks.

(27)
ruth housman,
January 22, 2012 5:23 PM

The Titanic and the Concordia

Hi, I love your articles and have read so many of them, finding myself nodding from your wisdom and the beauty of your expressive ways of conveying information. I went to your book recently about Michelangelo and the secrets within the Sistine Chapel.
I can say, and I will say this, that there is a story that surrounds all stories, even this, and that surely within this story there is a deep learning curve that does have everything to do with hubris and arrogance. And sadly people died for this, and a captain jumping ship is more than cowardice. It's plain wrong, when lives are in his care.
I once read a story of yours that was about massive synchronicity, and it was awesome and you felt that awe. And it seemed to me, your own questioning had to do with G_d as moving YOUR story to make this happen. And I believe I commented then.
I am experiencing MASSIVE synchronicity of this sort which never stops, and I keep a profound record, and I am also seeing deep into words, across that very story you discuss, being the Tower of Babel. And babble is also about the equipotentiality of words, in babies, learning to speak, as they could, pick up ANY language easily. And BABEL itself in the split, Babe and EL or gate in Sanskrit.
I see a story that is deeply coded within words, running across all languages, our aleph bet. And this story is NOT random nor the hail of coincidence falling on my head that does involve us all. So, as stories are for climbing we learn from what you wrote, but I am saying, G_d wrote the ENTIRE story, and as A chord is to accord, I know we are moving fast into a blossoming of consciousness as never before, and it is deeply ALL G_d. It's a story of titanic proportions about Concord itself.
I think you are terrific. I always have. But this is happening and I am recording this story, and have been, daily, for over eleven years. Staying alive is no accident.

(26)
lori h. gordon,
January 22, 2012 4:46 PM

Eloquent. Greed ruled the day...

"only with greater, and equal living concern for ethical and moral priorities and values that are practiced by all guardians of our people."

(25)
Joyce,
January 22, 2012 4:35 PM

Truth in Balance

Thank you Rabbi for a very well given point of truth that I believe apply to all spectrums of life. I am thankful there are people like you still around.

(24)
Anthony,
January 22, 2012 4:30 PM

An interesting article, for which I thank you. You brought to our attention, that when humans regard the phenomenal world as greater than the inner world, where, I believe, God resides, a lesson is created to help redirect the attention.. My field of interest lies in the variables of human nature and the raising of consciousness. It seems to me that ego is usually the major cause of one's downfall, and when adding to ego, the emotion of fear, you have an unholy alliance, which was demonstrated (I believe) in the tragedy of the Costa Concordia.

(23)
Ian Hutchinson,
January 22, 2012 4:05 PM

G-d's Sat Nav

One thing I have realised in recent years is that G-d is like a sat nav. He has an ideal plan/route for each of us, but we rebel & try to go our own way. He is always saying, 'Recalculating, recalculating.' until He finally says, 'Arriving at destination.'

(22)
Tomas,
January 22, 2012 3:57 PM

Ego

It was only after I adopted the Jewish worldview, committed myself to be a Noahide and learned about the ten archetypal energies that constitute the Kabbalistic tree, that I came to fully understand the concept of ego. People typically associate that word with any simple effort to gain something unfairly at the expense of others, but it goes far, far deeper. It actually means a terrible abuse of the energy of Yesod aimed at gaining pleasure from enforcing your own will at any costs whatsoever and totally disregarding any destructive or potentially destructive consequences to others, and at times even to yourself.

(21)
angelo,
January 22, 2012 3:38 PM

This tragedy has been emphasized too much from mass media with a lot of comments ,judgements ,sentences and blaming persons without knowing exactly real situation and responsibility.
Moreover,just a consideration:a bulkcarrier-Vinalines Queen- with 24 persons on board sank on december 25 last.One sailor only survived with no comments by anybody.

(20)
Devorah,
January 22, 2012 3:18 PM

Powerful, Honest and Awakening!

How can we get this important message across? Aish you are doing a magnanimous job; wish we could spread the truth of Torah and moral living to the world. Thank you!

(19)
Mr. Gershon magon,
January 22, 2012 3:17 PM

A very important article. I should be required to read and signed by all liners and their captains who are organizing and runnig cruises.

(18)
Ethel Fisher,
January 22, 2012 3:15 PM

A very relevant and insightful understanding of this enormous tragedy. Always appreciate Rabbi Benny Blech's words. (My late brother, Dr. Samuel Janus, as
Camp Director, befriended Rabbi and his family when the Rabbi was at Camp Hi-Li in the Catskills approximately 47 yrs. ago.)

(17)
Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 2:44 PM

great article! very well written i.e. to the point without fancy words. great comparisons and a real/true/important message. thanks

(16)
Carlos A. Figueredo,
January 22, 2012 1:57 PM

The evils of greed

Greed, greed and more greed: the source of most of our troubles,

(15)
Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 12:19 PM

Good article but check facts

Hi,
Thank you for this article, however in fact approximately 1514 people were killed on the titanic. In addition, I recommend reading the wikipedia information about the fact that the Titanic choose to sail through ice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_RMS_Titanic#09:00.E2.80.9323:00_.E2.80.93_Iceberg_warnings

(14)
TMay,
January 22, 2012 9:04 AM

lack of common sense

It is also the lack of common sense. You don’t take a boat the size of an apartment building close to shore to show off and not realize the depth of the boat and the reality that there is a seabed and there can be debris there such as a rock. And he followed his feelings. He should have used his mind. He should have balanced the responsibility to the passengers, the workers, the owners, the ship, his career, his life, and the danger, with his feelings of wanting to do something with a flourish.

(13)
Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 3:10 AM

What a great article!

What a great article!!

(12)
Beth,
January 21, 2012 10:39 PM

Very Timely

Thank you Rabbi Blech for stating such truth. There is such a need to simply get back to the basics of what God's WORD tell us about how to live life. You have truly touched on many of those truths.

(11)
Leib Yaacov Rigler,
January 21, 2012 10:10 PM

Without values, scientific advances are meaningless

I once wondered what the Mishna in Avos meant in its assertion, "Without Torah there is no meal (read: livelihood)." I had seen many people rich in resources and poor in proper conduct (read: Torah). I have come to understand what Rabbi Blech articulated so well: What good is one's livelihood without the Torah's moral code as the backdrop from which to live? Thank you, Rabbi Blech.

(10)
Anonymous,
January 20, 2012 12:28 PM

Thank you

I am cutting and pasting these brilliant paragraphs and putting them above my desk:
"A GPS, just like God's Perfect System for guiding us through life, otherwise known as the Torah, can only give us direction. It can't force us to carry out its will. We still have the freedom to obey or to disregard its warnings. But what we can never avoid is the consequences of our actions.
That's why our moral choices, dictated by a commitment to higher ethical principles, will always be more important than our scientific achievements."

Anonymous,
January 22, 2012 1:55 PM

Great

Thanks

(9)
Judith,
January 20, 2012 12:37 AM

Very insightful article

Thank you

(8)
David Altschuler,
January 19, 2012 4:22 AM

Check the bad-mouthing of Yuri Gagarin

I think Kruschchev put those arrogant words into Gargarin's mouth. Gagarin was not a bad guy, from what I've read, and either said nothing of the sort or something significantly different.

(7)
L,
January 18, 2012 8:14 PM

great article

wow. thank you.

(6)
SusanE,
January 18, 2012 7:17 PM

We don't yet know the story.

It is inconceivable that a great, safe ship slowly crossing shallow waters could sink from a hole in its hull from a rock. It could list, or take on water, but sink from just that damage....? Never!! Not in relatively calm shallow waters. We don't know the whole story about what happened on that voyage but I am sure that the Captain, the second in command and many of the crew does know. Carnival, I suspect also knows and is planning how to best represent this violent episode to the media.

Israel Ben Abraham,
January 21, 2012 7:43 PM

We do know the story

When a ship that size is going slow, it is still moving many tons of weight and therefor will not stop easily even going as slow as it was. The inertia of a ship twice the size of the Titanic and as big as some CVA's is much more than if it weighed much less. There is no other story; it hit and ripped a hole in the side, the crew did not close water-tight hatched and chose to run. That is a known factor and leaves nothing to guess at. The entire crew needs to be questioned and if necessary, punished for their behavior.
The point the Rabbi makes here is not only compelling, but very true. G-d gives us guides in everything we do; follow those guides and things will go well. If you choose not to follow them, you will get a lesson that you probably do not want.

(5)
DorothyFrancesGoldstein,
January 18, 2012 4:38 PM

2nd Titanic Voyage Planned To Duplicate The 1st

I don't know if it's still "on" but some time ago, I read about a 100th anniversary voyage being planned to follow exactly the same route as the original Titanic...on the same date. They were actually selling passage. People were invited to email any inquiries. Mine was one word "lifeboats?"...never got an answer. Does anyone know if they're still planning this arrogant temptation of disaster?

(4)
David,
January 18, 2012 3:21 PM

Good article, but maybe premature

Although I agree with Rabbi Blech about the lesson to be learned here, I am a little hesitant to judge so many of the individuals so quickly, and based on media accounts (when we all know how frequently initial media reports are inaccurate). I suspect that the captain acted inappropriately and that many of the crew and passengers did not reflect the best of human traits (although I suspect that many did). I just think that my suspicions should not be stated as facts until they are investigated a little further. In any event, the conclusions about the danger of "technological hubris" and the neglect of values are important.

steve,
January 18, 2012 3:52 PM

from what i've read, the captain is under house arrest

Reports say that he abandoned ship and refused to conduct rescue operations. transcripts of him talking to the coast guard are available online -- chilling reading. He is being charged for manslaughter. It is truly criminal and moral negligence.

Melissa Jarquin,
January 20, 2012 3:03 AM

Most of what we've heard is true

My family actually knows someone that was on this ship and she attested to most of the chaotic behavior being true. Now, another day later, we do know much more and can even see accounts of the Captain and Crew's behavior as they communicated with friends and family via Facebook as the event was taking place.

(3)
Reba,
January 18, 2012 2:57 PM

Amen! So True!

(2)
Abigail,
January 18, 2012 2:20 PM

A good lesson to learn from

Thanks for this important article Rabbi Blech. The lessons contained in this article, especially the futility of secular progress sans an emphasis in moral values needed to be voiced.

(1)
Lisa,
January 18, 2012 1:24 PM

What are our priorites?

So well said!! Greed & arrogance is such a sad chapter in our lives.....

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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